Dispensing pump and coupling



-5 Sheets-Sheef Filed ot. 7, 1955 Jan. 30, 1962 s. ENGLEssoN DISPENSING PUMP AND couPLING 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1955 Jan. v30, 1962 s. ENGLEssoN 3,018,925

DISPENSING PUMP AND COUPLING Filed Oct. '7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Otltice Patented Jan. 30, 1962 3,018,925 DISPENSEIG PUMP ANI) CUPLING Sixten Englesson, Djursholm, Sweden, assigner of onehalf to Aktiebolaget Fiygts Pumpar, Stockholm, Sweden, a Swedish company Filed Oct. 7, 1955, Ser. Nc. 539,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-1841) This invention relates to pumping plants and has for its main purpose to provide an improved pumping plant in which the pumps are adapted to be immersed in a basin or the like. The invention is especially applicable to such a pumping station having lcentrifugal pumps.

One object of the invention is to provide'a pumping plant in which the pumps and their motors are easily accessible for cleaning, repair or exchange without the need of stepping `down into the basin, such as in sewage pumping plants or plants for corroding liquids, or the like.

In hitherto known plants for these purposes it has been necessary to place the motor at or adjacent the upper edge of the basin with a shaft and a pipe line extending downwardly to the pump located adjacent to or within the liquid to be drained. In this case the pump motor is directly accessible, but an inspection of the pump requires the whole assembly to be lifted up and out of the basin after the pipe line, and possibly also electrical cables, to the motor, have been disconnected. This has involved substantial work. Further, due to the fact that the pump assembly must be made of a length corresponding to the depth of the basin or more a correspondingly high space was required above the upper edge of the basin to permit the lifting of the whole pump assembly out of the basin.

In plants located indoors valuable room space must be taken which is especially the case at sewage pumping plants, in dwelling houses, and industrial buildings; and in subterranean plants a large space had to be blasted above the basin, which is excessively expensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pumping plant which takes up a minimum of space, thereby removing the mentioned drawbacks involved in said known plants.

For this purpose a pumping plant according to the invention comprises one or more individual pump units each consisting of a pump assembled with its motor adapted to be freely moved into enga-gement with a guide when lowered into the basin, for guiding the pump unit with its outlet into releasable but substantially fluid-tight engagement with the opening of a discharge tube.

Thus the pumping units form a substantially duid-tight connection with their discharge tube or tubes in spite of the fact that thye are readily detachable for inspection and repair. As the pumping units are adapted to be immersed in the liquid no suction line is necessary.

Preferably the connection between the outlet end of the pump and the discharge tube is located below the lowest level in the basin to prevent liquid being sprayed over the free space of the basin, in the event of leakage from the connection, which would result in an unnecessary dirtying of the walls of the basin.

The connection between the outlet opening from the pump and the discharge tube may be made in several ways. For example hooks may be used in connection with inclined flanges and the free ends of the outlet from the pump and of the discharge tube may simply be urged against each other by gravity force. It is to be noted that in all cases the pump shall be able to be removed and put in place without any use of tools. This is especially important as it is practically impossible to see anything in a basin iilled with sludge water.

In the following the invention will be more fully described with reference to the annexed drawings showing some preferred embodiments, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational view, partly in vertical section, of a basin ywith a pumping system according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a `fragmental plan view showing a cover for the basin.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a an elevational view, partly in section, similar to that in FIGURE 1 showing the manner in which a pumping unit may be removed.

FGURE 5 is a vertical cross sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a basin provided with a pumping system of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the pumping system shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a large scale sectional View of a detail of a guide member, taken on line VII-VII of FIGURE 5.

`In a basin 1 a discharge or outlet tube 2 extends centrally near to the bottom of the basin. The tube 2 is supported on the bottom by an adjustable screw 3. The tube 2 is curved below the upper side of the basin 1 so that it extends almost horizontally through the wall of the basin. To either side of the `discharge tube 2 a T- beam 5 is secured and extends substantially along the whole length of the vertical portion of 'the discharge tube Z and is prolonged upwardly and at its upper end connected to a floor plate 4, covering a central section of the upper opening 37 of the basin. The T-beams 5, which serve as guides, receive carriages 6 or the like, which are mounted so that 'they may move up and down along the guides. The floor plate section 4 has a recess at 7 for permitting the carriage 6 to pass freely on to the guide. Each carriage 6 is provided with rollers 8 and 9 on both sides of the flanges of the T-beam. Upper rollers 8 are located inside and lower rollers 9 are located outside said anges. The carriage 6 is connected with a centrifugal pump unit 10 of the type adapted with its motor to be entirely immersed in the liquid, and an electric supply cable 11 is connected with the housing of the pump unit in a fluid-tight manner and leads to a junction box 12 on the dloor plate section 4. The pump unit 10 has a central inlet opening 13 located below the lowest liquid level inthe basin and a radial outlet at 14, which ends with an inclined flange 15. The llange 15 extends downwardly and outwardly relative to the discharge tube 2 and rests loosely against a corresponding flange 16 that surrounds an infeed opening 38 on a lower bowed part of the discharge tube 2 so that when lifting the pump unit 10 for instance bymeans of a chain `17 the flanges 15 and 16 are easily separated as shown in FIGURE 4.

Although this connection between the outlet 14 from the pump and the infeed opening 38 of the `discharge tube 2 may be realized in several ways the arrangement illustrated is preferred as the pump u nit 10 will tightly urge the two steeply inclined flanges 1S, 16 one against .the other by its own weight, the anges forming gravity-actuated cam means. The force urging the ilanges together depends on the weight of the pump unit 10 and the angle of the flanges 15, 16 and with a suitable angle the force may be of sufficient magnitude to give complete tightening of the joint without any `additional securing means.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 the pressure between the llanges 15 and 16 will be due to the moment of force about the roller as centre axis.

The remaining portion of the upper opening of the basin is covered by two lids 1S of floor plate or the like, which may rest on U-beams 49 and may have such a size that the pump units freely pass through the respective uncovered openings, when the lids are removed.

Between the volute chambers 19 a valve 39 is provided for closing the conduit to one pump while the other is in function. Said valve, which is especially adapted for viscoid liquids or suspensions, such as sewage, comprises a plane disc 20 movably mounted in a groove 21 at the top of a ridge 22, so thatit may close the conduit to either volute chamber 19. Owing to the elevated position of the mounting point for the valve disc sludge that is deposited on the walls and bottom of the passages will not prevent the valve disc from moving.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 a pair o-f pump units 10, similar to those in FIGURES 1 to 4, are movable up and down while ygoverned by a guide comprising 'two parallel adjacent round rods or tubes 29. These are at their lower ends preferably but not necessarily secured to a cast structure 30 supported on the bottom of the basin 1 and being in one piece with the lower portion of the discharge tube 35. At the upper edge of the basin 1 the rods or tubes 29 are held in place by a bracket 31. Said bracket 31 is shaped and secured so that a pair of clawshaped guiding elements 32 of a bracket 33 supporting the pump unit 10 may freely pass said upper securing bracket 31 to be entirely disengaged from said guide rods 29.

A hook 34- fastened on the outlet ange 15 at the pump is adapted to engage with the flange 16 that surrounds the infeed opening of the discharge tube 35. The hook 34 has an inclined back surface 36 for guiding the flanges correctly in place and at the same time a certain wedging effect is obtained. In the embodiment shown in FIG- URES 5 and 6 two pump units 10 are placed in the basin 1 one beside the other, each pumping unit having its own discharge tube 55. Said tubes 35 may suitably be connected near the upper edge of the basin 1 or at an easily accessible point outside the basin to enable inspection of ther junction and possible valve members.

The embodiment according to FIGURES 5 and 6 agrees in remaining parts substantially with the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1. Thus a chain 17 or the like serves for lifting the pump unit and the pump motors are supplied Ethrough electrical cables 11. Detachable lids 18 cover the basin as previously shown.

It is to be noted that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown but may be modified in different manners. Y Thus the connection 15, 16 between the pump unit' and the discharge tube is shown located below the lowest liquid level, which as above mentioned may be advantageous by damping possible leaking liquid jets, but this is not absolutely necessary.

The pumping plant having two pump units is suitably provided with means for closing the passage to one pump when only the other operates. Such a modification is shown at 20 in FIGUREy l. However, when pumping sludge the valve is exposed to impurities which may put the valve out of order. It is :therefore necessary to form the valve as a separate unit which may be detachably connected to the junction of the discharge tubes, preferably outside the basin. The junction between -the two discharge tubes may also be located at the upper side of the basin.

The pump' system according to the invention provides great economy in space compared with previous systems due to the extremely small unit of assembled pump and motor which may be lifted for inspection, maintenance or replacement with a minimum of space above the basin.

What I claim is:

1. A pumping plant, for use in connection with a sump for accumulating sewage or the like, comprising vertical guide means fixedly mounted in said sump, a pump unit including an immersible casing and a pump and motor therein, a guide member on said casing in operable c0- operating engagement with said vertical guide means, ilexible means connected to said casing for lowering and lifting said pump unit along said vertical guide means in cooperation therewith, said pump unit having a free inlet opening and a lateral outlet opening provided with plane flange means inclined downwardly and outwardly from said guide means, a discharge tube iXedly mounted in said sump and having a free infeed opening and plane ange means on said discharge tube at said infeed opening, said plane flange means on said tube being inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to said vertical guide means in parallel relation with said ange means on said pump unit and located so as to be engaged by said latter ange means on said tube.

2. A pumping plant comprising in combination a sump for accumulating sewage or the like, Vertical guide means tixedly mounted in said sump, a pump unit including an immersible casing and a pump and motor therein, guide members on said ycasing in cooperating engagement with said vertical guide means, llexible means connected to said casing for lowering and lifting said pump unit along said vertical guide means in cooperation with the same, said pump unit having a free inlet opening and a lateral outlet opening provided with plane llange means inclined downwardly and outwardly from said guide means, a discharge tube xedly mounted in said sump and having a free infeed opening, plane flange means on said discharge tube at said infeed opening, said plane flange means on said tube being inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to said vertical guide means in parallel relation with said flange means on said pump unit and located so as to be engaged by said latter ange means and hook means on the top of the flange means on said pump unit adapted to engage the top of the flange means of said discharge tube.

3. A pumping plant comprising in combination a sump for accumulating sewage or the like, vertical guide means Xedly mounted in said sump, a pump unit including an immersible casing and a pump and motor therein, guide members on said casing in cooperating engagement with said vertical guide means, exible means connected to said casing for lowering and lifting said pump unit along said vertical guide means in cooperation with the same, said pump unit having a free inlet opening and a lateral outlet opening provided with plane ange means inclined downwardly and outwardly from said guide means, a dischange tube iixedly mounted in said sump and having a free infeed opening, plane ange means on said discharge tube at said infeed` opening, said plane flange means on said tube being inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to said vertical guide means in parallel relation with said iange means on said pump unit and located so as to be engaged by said latter ange means, wedge means on said discharge tube and wedge shaped hook means on the top of the flange means on said pump unit adapted to engage said wedge means on the top of the flange means of said discharge tube.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 796,489 Albertine Aug. 8, 1905 1,838,574 Ross Dec. 29, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,079 Italy Oct. 30, 1939 450,492 Germany Oct. 4, 1927 577,164 Great Britain May 7, 1946 

